The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-03-18
THE WAY THE MONEY GOES.

49, IOtal OF actug appropriations .S241 1897 IA
lie NV ana .iar,sr, Dl !. which W, 8 not
hc"ncy which did not pass, though it was
agreed upon in conference, carried I'm apprO-
priat.On al "a 275 023.
HE PRESIDENTS SIGNATURE.
The controversy over the power of the
President 10 sim bill after Congress adj
] urns and thereby make 1t a law is still
going on. The court of claims seems to
firm the power. In decision as recent
rs Is 3, Judge Richardson referred 10 the
captured and abandoned property act pass.
Ell by the Thirty-seventh Congress, and ap-
proved BY President Lincoln March IL, MS
having been uniformly treated as valid
act, and ex-Chief Justice Drake, of the same
court, in reply to questions regarding the
particular case now talked about, said the
President had the power to sign the bill,
and mentioned this same captured and
abandoned property act neither of these
JurlstS referring to the re-enactment of the
law. Mr.. Carlisle, however, In expressing
his opinion said that every member OF the
House Judiciary committee in the Thirty
eighth Congress believed the signature of
Mr.. Lincoln eight days after Congress adj
Journed was invalid, and that Congress
passed an act validating the transactions
during the congressional recess under the
act approved March IL.
PINCHED FOR FUNDS.
The signal service is likely to be sadly
pinched by the failure of the general def
cheney appropriation bill. The deficiency
estimates for this service aggregated $23,-
no. large part of the total being for trans
pOrtatOn and mileage. The estimate for
transportation of men and baggage was
small item, amounting to but S2,325, but the
failure of Congress 10 appropriate that sum
will cause much embarrassment for, accord
ing 10 the statement of the chief signal
officer, il is now impossible to move q man
even to discharge or re-enllSt him, or to
replace those who are dead or dangerously
iii. The term of service of number OF
men has expired, but they must be retained
in the corps from lack of money 10 send
them to tllelr homes. The most serious con-
sequences of the failure OF the bill, per-
haps, will be the discontinuance OF the
storm warnings cold waves, ETC., at num-
of the item apprOpriatlng SIS 600 for tele-
graphing and reporting these warnings. SO
nearly exhausted Is the sum now available
for this purpose that n heavy cut must be-
made in the service at very early date.
TIE FoRTIFICATION BILL
AS explained in the Senate by Mr.. Dawes,
the rock upon which the conferrees OH the
fortihcation appropriation bill finally split
was section of the bill, prepared by the
Senate conierrces This section authorized
the advisory board 10 make contracts with
responsible steel manufacturers for the sup
ply of LOCO tons OF gun steel, Su0Ject 10 tests
and inspection at every stage and appro-
prated SO 00O,0 for its purchase. Inc cor
responding provision made by the House
conferreeS was contained in section 9 of
their bill. This section appropriated like
sum of 100000 for the purchase of steel,
but with the proviso that only SO much
should be accepted as would suffice for the
fabrication of three guns-eight, ten, and
twelve inch calbers. These guns were to
be tested by requiring them to endure two
hundred discharges in periods of time rang.
ing from 20 to 120 minutes. If they failed
TO pass these tests. then no more of the APP
preparation was to become available for the
purchase of steel. The objection of the
Senate conferrees to this provlso was that 1T
would result in leaving the country without
guns for many years t0 come, as 1t would
take at least three or four years to finish and
test the specimen guns, and. i'll the event OF
their success, as many additional years to
procure others of the same type.